Direct derivation of the Veneziano-Yankielowicz superpotential from matrix model

We derive the Veneziano-Yankielowicz superpotential directly from the matrix model by fixing the measure precisely. The essential requirement here is that the effective superpotential of the matrix model corresponding to the ${\cal N}=4$ supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory vanishes except for the tree gauge kinetic term. Thus we clarify the reason why the matrix model reproduces the Veneziano-Yankielowicz superpotential correctly in the Dijkgraaf-Vafa theory.Comment: 13 pages, to appear in Phys. Lett.

Bunina bodies in dendrites of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

We studied the brains of two cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with dementia. Bunina bodies were found in the motor neurons of cranial nerve nuclei (trigeminal, facial and hypoglossal nerves) as well as in the spinal motoneurons. They appeared mostly in the cytoplasm and occasionally in the neuronal processes. However, the present electron microscopic study disclosed clearly that Bunina bodies were present not only in the cell body but also in the dendrites. No Bunina bodies were observed in the axons. It is inferred that the Bunina bodies were degenerative products formed as a result of a protein metabolism disorder.</p

Systematic-error-free wavefront measurement using an X-ray single-grating interferometer

In this study, the systematic errors of an X-ray single-grating interferometer based on the Talbot effect were investigated in detail. Non-negligible systematic errors induced by an X-ray camera were identified and a method to eliminate the systematic error was proposed. Systematic-error-free measurements of the wavefront error produced by multilayer focusing mirrors with large numerical apertures were demonstrated at the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact free electron LAser. Consequently, wavefront aberration obtained with two different cameras was found to be consistent with an accuracy better than λ/12.Takato Inoue, Satoshi Matsuyama, Shogo Kawai, Hirokatsu Yumoto, Yuichi Inubushi, Taito Osaka, Ichiro Inoue, Takahisa Koyama, Kensuke Tono, Haruhiko Ohashi, Makina Yabashi, Tetsuya Ishikawa, and Kazuto Yamauchi, "Systematic-error-free wavefront measurement using an X-ray single-grating interferometer", Review of Scientific Instruments 89, 043106 (2018), https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5026440

Effects of lifestyle and single nucleotide polymorphisms on breast cancer risk: a case-control study in Japanese women

Background: Lifestyle factors, including food and nutrition, physical activity, body composition and reproductive factors, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with breast cancer risk, but few studies of these factors have been performed in the Japanese population. Thus, the goals of this study were to validate the association between reported SNPs and breast cancer risk in the Japanese population and to evaluate the effects of SNP genotypes and lifestyle factors on breast cancer risk. Methods: A case-control study in 472 patients and 464 controls was conducted from December 2010 to November 2011. Lifestyle was examined using a self-administered questionnaire. We analyzed 16 breast cancer-associated SNPs based on previous GWAS or candidate-gene association studies. Age or multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated from logistic regression analyses. Results: High BMI and current or former smoking were significantly associated with an increased breast cancer risk, while intake of meat, mushrooms, yellow and green vegetables, coffee, and green tea, current leisure-time exercise, and education were significantly associated with a decreased risk. Three SNPs were significantly associated with a breast cancer risk in multivariate analysis: rs2046210 (per allele OR = 1.37 [95% CI: 1.11-1.70]), rs3757318 (OR = 1.33[1.05-1.69]), and rs3803662 (OR = 1.28 [1.07-1.55]). In 2046210 risk allele carriers, leisure-time exercise was associated with a significantly decreased risk for breast cancer, whereas current smoking and high BMI were associated with a significantly decreased risk in non-risk allele carriers. Conclusion: In Japanese women, rs2046210 and 3757318 located near the ESR1 gene are associated with a risk of breast cancer, as in other Asian women. However, our findings suggest that exercise can decrease this risk in allele carriers

LINE-1 hypomethylation status of circulating cell-free DNA in plasma as a biomarker for colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a serious public health problem and non-invasive biomarkers improving diagnosis or therapy are strongly required. Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has been a promising target for this purpose. In this study, we evaluated the potential of long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1) hypomethylation as a blood biomarker for CRC. LINE-1 hypomethylation level in plasma cfDNA in 114 CRC patients was retrospectively examined by absolute quantitative analysis of methylated alleles real-time PCR, and was expressed using LINE-1 hypomethylation index (LHI) [unmethylated copy number/ (methylated copy number + unmethylated copy number)]. Greater LHI values indicated enhanced hypomethylation. In our clinicopathological analysis, CRC patients with large tumors (≥6.0 cm), advanced N stage (≥2), and distant metastasis (M1) had statistically significantly higher cfDNA LHI than other CRC patients, suggesting cfDNA LHI as a disease progression biomarker for CRC. Furthermore, early stage I/II (n = 57) as well as advanced stage III/IV (n =57) CRC patients had significantly higher cfDNA LHI than healthy donors (n=53) [stage I/II: median 0.369 (95% confidence interval, 0.360-0.380) vs. 0.332 (0.325-0.339), P \u3c 0.0001; stage III/IV: 0.372 (0.365-0.388) vs. 0.332 (0.325-0.339), P \u3c 0.0001]. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that cfDNA LHI had the detection capacity of CRC with area under the curve(AUC) of 0.79 and 0.83 in stage I/II and stage III/IV CRC patients, respectively. The present study demonstrated for the first time the potential of plasma cfDNA LHI as a novel biomarker for CRC, particularly for early stage detection

Spectral evolution of GRB 060904A observed with Swift and Suzaku -- Possibility of Inefficient Electron Acceleration

We observed an X-ray afterglow of GRB 060904A with the Swift and Suzaku satellites. We found rapid spectral softening during both the prompt tail phase and the decline phase of an X-ray flare in the BAT and XRT data. The observed spectra were fit by power-law photon indices which rapidly changed from $\Gamma = 1.51^{+0.04}_{-0.03}$ to $\Gamma = 5.30^{+0.69}_{-0.59}$ within a few hundred seconds in the prompt tail. This is one of the steepest X-ray spectra ever observed, making it quite difficult to explain by simple electron acceleration and synchrotron radiation. Then, we applied an alternative spectral fitting using a broken power-law with exponential cutoff (BPEC) model. It is valid to consider the situation that the cutoff energy is equivalent to the synchrotron frequency of the maximum energy electrons in their energy distribution. Since the spectral cutoff appears in the soft X-ray band, we conclude the electron acceleration has been inefficient in the internal shocks of GRB 060904A. These cutoff spectra suddenly disappeared at the transition time from the prompt tail phase to the shallow decay one. After that, typical afterglow spectra with the photon indices of 2.0 are continuously and preciously monitored by both XRT and Suzaku/XIS up to 1 day since the burst trigger time. We could successfully trace the temporal history of two characteristic break energies (peak energy and cutoff energy) and they show the time dependence of $\propto t^{-3} \sim t^{-4}$ while the following afterglow spectra are quite stable. This fact indicates that the emitting material of prompt tail is due to completely different dynamics from the shallow decay component. Therefore we conclude the emission sites of two distinct phenomena obviously differ from each other.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in PASJ (Suzaku 2nd Special Issue

The effect of midazolam administration for the prevention of emergence agitation in pediatric patients with extreme fear and non-cooperation undergoing dental treatment under sevoflurane anesthesia, a double-blind, randomized study

Background: Sevoflurane is generally the preferred anesthetic agent for general anesthesia in pediatric patients, due to its rapid induction and recovery characteristics. However, it has been recognized that a major complication is emergence agitation when awakening from general anesthesia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence rate of emergence agitation in the operating room and postoperative recovery area following intraoperative administration of midazolam to pediatric patients under general anesthesia. Patients and methods: One hundred and twenty pediatric patients undergoing dental treatment under sevoflurane anesthesia were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into three groups (n=40 each in the 0.1 mg/kg midazolam, 0.05 mg/kg midazolam, and control with saline groups). Midazolam or saline was injected intravenously approximately 30 minutes before the end of the dental treatment. We used the Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale (RASS) to assess the level of sedation and drowsiness at emergence phase in the operating room. We also used the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium Scale (PAED) to assess the level of agitation and delirium at the full recovery phase from anesthesia in the recovery area. Results:At the emergence phase, the incidence of emergence agitation in the 0.1 mg/kg midazolam group was significantly lower than in the other groups (p=0.0010). At the recovery phase, there was no significant difference among the three groups. The odds ratio between PAED score and RASS score was 4.0 using logistic regression analysis. The odds ratio between PAED score and Disability was 2.5. Conclusion: Administration of a single dose of 0.1 mg/kg midazolam dose significantly decreases the incidence of severe emergence agitation at the emergence after sevoflurane anesthesia, but not at the recovery phase. Furthermore, the evaluation of sedative and agitation condition using RASS score at emergence from anesthesia is useful to predict occurrence of agitation in the recovery phase

Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis associated with cancer of unknown origin complicated with thrombus in the left auricular appendage: case report

A 63-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of right lateroabdominal pain. He was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer, and then developed multiple brain embolic infarctions 7 days after admission. Transesophageal echocardiography showed that mobile, echo-dense masses were attached to the anterior and posterior mitral valve leaflet. Furthermore, there was a thrombus in the left auricular appendage despite sinus rhythm. These findings led to a diagnosis of suspected infectious endocarditis with subsequent multiple brain infarctions. The patient's general condition worsened and he died 13 days after admission. An autopsy was performed, and, while poorly differentiated cancer was observed in multiple organs, no primary tumor could be identified. Histological analysis showed that the masses of the mitral valve consisted mainly of fibrin without bacteria or oncocytes. This patient was therefore diagnosed with nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis associated with cancer of unknown origin complicated with thrombus in the left auricular appendage

Exercise-induced left bundle branch block and subsequent mechanical left ventricular dyssynchrony -resolved with pharmacological therapy

A 53-year-old man with depressed ejection fraction (EF) of 35% and QRS width of 88 ms at rest was admitted to our institution with a complaint of exertional chest discomfort and dyspnea. During treadmill exercise, left bundle-branch block (LBBB) with a QRS width of 152 ms occurred at a heart rate of 100 bpm. During LBBB, the patient showed significant mechanical dyssynchrony as evidenced by a two-dimensional speckle tracking radial strain of 260 ms (≥130 ms), defined as the time difference between anterior-septum and posterior wall. Five-month after carvedilol and candesartan administration, EF had improved to 49% and LBBB did not occur until a heart rate of 126 bpm was attained during treadmill exercise. It appears that pharmacological therapy may be useful for patients with heart failure and exercise-induced LBBB